Artist Gallery – Audrey Kessler
I was introduced to Gourd Art by Jeannie Pinel in 2023. She donated a gourd for a silent auction fundraiser & I was instantly impressed by her artwork. I told Jeannie that I would love to learn gourd art & she told me about the NM Gourd Society & invited me to a gourd class at her house.
It opened a whole new world of gourds, a new hobby & an obsession for me. The more gourds I see, the more I am inspired at what everyone is doing with them. I am just amazed at how everyone has different ideas after learning the same technique.
I really enjoy my new hobby & obsession. I call it my obsession because I must force myself to do the things that I should be doing because I just keep going back to my project & I get lost in time. I really do not feel I have a favorite anything YET because every gourd is a new learning experience that may require a different tool and embellishment.
So now I collect everything because I can use it to prepare a gourd, a container to store something for a gourd, or to put on a gourd, which requires constant reorganization, which inspires a new idea & that is why I call it my obsession. I really enjoy everything I have learned & appreciate everyone for sharing their skills, experiences & ideas.
Audrey Kessler
